If you are looking for a unique holiday gift for someone, look no further!  You’ve come to the right place!

Texas Pepper Jelly has a full page of fantastic, delicious holiday sampler packs that would be wonderful presents for your friends and family.  Our sampler packs are different from all others, because you get to choose whatever flavor of pepper jelly you like best, making our sampler packs genuinely personalized! Choose from several holiday-themed tins, Texas Lone Star tins,and bamboo or wicker baskets, all filled with jars of assorted pepper jellies.

Choose the same kind of pepper jelly for all of your jars, or two, or three!  Choose a different kind of pepper jelly for each jar!

You can have it any way you like, for each order is made fresh, guaranteeing that Texas Pepper Jelly is the best pepper jelly in the world.

Along with your choice of holiday sampler, why not include a Texas Pepper Jelly shirt for your pepper jelly-loving friend?

Our friends over at TexasBBQRub.com had some fantastic recipes in their newsletter, and they’ve given us permission to post them here on our Texas Pepper Jelly blog!   Their newsletter’s presentation couldn’t be beat, so here are the recipes, straight from TexasBBQRUB!  (Thanks a million, guys!)

(They’re giving their readers some Texas Pepper Jelly!  Go sign up NOW!)  Tomorrow is the last day to take advantage of this offer!  DO IT NOW!!!!!

Glazed Smoked Ham

This is a great way to take one of those ready to eat store bought cooked hams and make a really special ham for the Easter dinner. The combination of Texas BBQ Rub and either honey or Texas Pepper Jelly (www.texaspepperjelly.com) makes this one a special treat. By the way you can cook this great meal for about $25 and feed the family and not have to fight all of the crowds at the restaurants on Easter Sunday.

What you will need:

1 cup of honey

¼ cup of Texas BBQ Rub

1 cup of pineapple juice

6 oz of Coke or Dr Pepper soda (do not use the diet versions)

Optional – 4 oz of Texas Pepper Jelly www.texaspepperjelly.com (my choice is Pineapple Habanero for the ham)

Preparation for this ham is so easy.

For the Smoker

Prepare your smoker and get your fire hot. Total cooking time will be approximately 4 1/2 hours at 200 to 220 degrees.

Place the ham in an aluminum pan so it can sit in it while it is cooking. Take the store bought ready to eat ham and score the ham with a cris-cross pattern down into the ham about 1 inch. (If you are using one of the spiral cut hams you can skip this cutting of the ham.)  Mix together the 1/2 cup of the pineapple juice, ½ cup of honey, and 1/8 of a cup of Texas BBQ Rub and pour over the top of the ham. Place the ham on the smoker uncovered and cook for about 3 hours. After 3 hours, pour the 6 oz of Coke or Dr. Pepper over the ham and cover the ham in foil and cook for another hour to 1½ hours.

For the final glaze, mix ½ cup of pineapple juice 1/8 cup of Texas BBQ Rub, ½ cup of honey and pour over the ham for the last hour of the cook.

As an alternate for the final glaze you can use 4 oz of Texas Pepper Jelly over the top of the ham and cook for 1 hour. You can also use the Texas Pepper Jelly on the table as a sauce to put directly on the ham for those that want to really take the ham to the next level. Just put a tablespoon on your plate and dip the bite size pieces of ham directly into the jelly for a great taste addition.

If you are smoking the ham the day before and just want to heat it up for Easter Sunday you can prepare the ham up to the last glaze part of the recipe and the next morning you can take the ham out of the refrigerator, place in the oven at 225 degrees and heat the ham for about 2 to 3 hours. During this time add the final glaze and you will have the ham ready when you are ready to eat.

In the Oven

You can do this same ham in the oven and the only thing you will be missing is the smoke flavor added by the smoking process but this is some great ham. If you would like to add some smoke flavor to the oven cooked ham you can do so by adding about ¼ cup of liquid smoke to the first mix and this will add some smoke flavor to the ham. Not as good as cooking on the smoker but it will work if you are cooking this in the oven.

Exclusive Bonus Offer for our Subscribers – Complimentary Jar of Texas Pepper Jelly with your order

If you don’t have any Texas BBQ Rub or Texas Pepper Jelly we have a great deal for you. Order two bags of any of our national prize winning rubs and we will send you a complimentary jar of Texas Pepper Jelly’s national prize winning Pineapple Habanero jelly at no additional costs to you. We will even pay the shipping for the jelly.  This is a savings of about $10 we are going to save you. But you will need to order between now and Tuesday, March 31^st to take advantage of this offer. I recommend you ship it Priority Mail or use the money savings feature of Flat Rate Box Priority shipping. Get it right now at www.texasbbqrub.com/shopping.html as time is running short to order in time for the special Easter dinner ham.  To ensure that you get your complimentary jar of Texas Pepper Jelly please write the word “Jelly” in the comment box on the order form so we can include the jelly in your order.

Bill’s Surprise Potatoes

Nothing goes better with a great smoked ham like Bill’s Surprise Potatoes. This recipe was developed by me while cooking at the Houston Rodeo BBQ Cookoff a few years ago and has been served to thousands of people and they are just blown away with this potato dish. It is easy to do and will be great with your ham, brisket, pulled pork or whatever you are cooking this Easter. I am going to give you the recipe for a full aluminum-serving pan of potatoes so if you want to cook a half-pan then cut the recipe down to half these amounts.

What you will need:

1 full size aluminum-serving pan – this will serve about 30 to 35 people

10 pounds of whole potatoes (I have used Idaho’s, russets, and others)

1 family size can (27oz) of cream of mushroom soup

1 family size can (27oz) of cream of chicken soup

2 cups of sour cream

1 cup of diced green onion

¼ cup of diced jalapenos (optional)

½ cup of Texas BBQ Rub

¼ cup of paprika

3 cups of shredded cheese (use cheddar or a blend of Monterey jack and cheddar)

¼ cup of granulated garlic (use this to your flavor liking)

Alt. Ingredient – your choice of chopped meat (brisket, butt, sausage)

First cut the potatoes in half (this will speed up the cooking time) and I leave the skin on the potatoes. In a large pot, boil the potatoes. Cooking time on the potatoes is about 30 to 45 minutes. When the potatoes are done, drain off the water and pour them into the serving pan. While the potatoes are still hot, crumble the potatoes into pieces. Add both cans of soup, the sour cream, Texas BBQ Rub, the granulated garlic, onions, and jalapenos and mix into the potatoes. Now add about ½ of the cheese and mix that into the potato mix. Spread this out in the pan and top with a large portion of cheese and then sprinkle with the paprika. Cover with aluminum foil and you can heat this in the oven at 225 degrees for about 1 to 1 1/2  hours (till all the cheese melts) or I stick mine on the pit and melt the cheese on the pit. Note: it is best to work with the potatoes when they are hot but you need to wear some thick heat protective gloves (like the ones we sell on our site).

If you would like to make it a total meal in itself add about 3 cups of chopped meat to the mix and you have a total meal. The kids and grown ups love this stuff. They will go thru it quickly so make plenty to have the next day.

Again if you want to save yourself about $10 and try some Texas Pepper Jelly we are going to send you a complimentary jar of the award winning Pineapple Habanero Texas Pepper Jelly with each 2 bag purchase of our rub from now until Tuesday, March 31st. That is only a few days from now. We anticipate a lot of people taking advantage of this, so don’t delay. Order right now and enjoy this for the Easter weekend. Again you can order at www.texasbbqrub.com/shopping.html

Feel better about yourself and forget the woes of the economy by going out to the BBQ pit and doing some cooking. There is nothing like the feeling you get by simply going outside and putting something on the BBQ pit. The flavors of the smoke are just so relaxing and good for your mental health. Forget the economy and cook something that makes the whole family feel great.

Oh, my DEARS!  If you don’t already have the Texas Pepper Jelly eCookbook, you’re really missing out!

This is one of my family’s favorites: We grill it outside in the good weather, and if the weather is bad and we just HAVE to have some, we broil or bake it in the oven.  It works in the crockpot, too!

Pineapple Chicken Glaze:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup Texas pepper jelly Pineapple Habanero

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/3 teaspoon dried thyme

Melt butter in saucepan.  Add cornstarch and blend.  Add remaining ingredients; cook five minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.  Brush on chicken during last five minutes of broiling or grilling time.  Heat remaining glaze and serve with the chicken.

Now, y’all get over here and get yourself this eCookbook!  It’s fantastic!  Sign up for our free Newsletter, and we’ll send you a sample of our eCookbook for FREE!

My newest batch of Texas Pepper Jelly arrived today, and would you LOOK at this GORGEOUS TIN!!!!!

I got to choose the kinds of pepper jelly inside, too.  I think this is one of the greatest things about the Texas Pepper Jelly gift page: we get to CHOOSE what kind of product we want with our gift packs!

With most companies, a gift pack is a done deal:  you get what you get.  But with Texas Pepper Jelly, we don’t choose for you; we let YOU choose!  Different customers will have different tastes and preferences, and we let you indulge yourself in whatever and whichever types and flavors you yourself prefer.

I’m stopping at the grocery store on my way home from school tomorrow, and buy some more fat-free cream cheese, and probably some more Ritz crackers, too.  That jar of Pineapple Habanero in my gift pack is calling my name, and I can’t resist it.

Thank you, Texas Pepper Jelly, for having such a fine, delicious product, and for giving your customers their own way in the choosing and ordering of it.  You rock.

‘Know what else rocks?  A good Blog Giveaway!  Texas Pepper Jelly is having one right now; why not sign up?  Free stuff is good, you know.

Remember, everyone who comments on this post gets a free Texas Pepper Jelly eCookbook, and a chance to also win a Messermeister knife!

The Texas Pepper Jelly eCookbook is FULL of fantastic recipes, and I know you will love it and USE it.  How do I know this?  Well, I’ve had my Texas Pepper Jelly eCookbook for a few weeks now and I LOVE IT and I USE IT! If you sign up for the Texas Pepper Jelly newsletter, you’ll get a free recipe and all kinds of wonderful tips every month!

There are also some recipes on the Texas Pepper Jelly website, and one of my favorites is this one:

Marinated Chicken Breasts

Put thawed chicken breasts in a ziplock bag with a generous helping of your favorite Texas Pepper Jelly. Put in refrigerator and leave for 24 hours. Take skillet and put over med to high heat and sear breasts on both side just long enough to carmelize the Texas Pepper Jelly. Then place in baking dish and cook for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

You can also put the marinated chicken breasts in your crockpot before you go to work, set it on low, and when you get home, you’ll have a fantastic dinner.

The wonderful aroma will hypnotize you as soon as you open your door, in fact.  Mmmmm, Texas Pepper Jelly marinated chicken breasts for supper!  Add some potato salad and green beans and you’ve got a feast fit for a king.  Some pecan pie would be good with it, too. 

The holidays are now upon us; December is here!

Texas Pepper Jelly products are ideal for any occasion, whether you’re hosting a big family reunion, a party, or just sitting around by yourself watching TV!  Everyone who came to my house this Thanksgiving – and I hosted three separate family reunions here – raved about the appetizers I’d set out, all of them featuring Texas Pepper Jelly in some form or another.  Actually, the favorite appetizer was the simplest: pour some pepper jelly over a block of cream cheese and dip crackers into it!

The reaction of my guests was so strongly positive that I’m giving them Texas Pepper Jelly for Christmas this year.  One order is already on its way, and there will be more orders!

Now, with most companies’ offerings of “assortments” of their product, the choice isn’t the customers’ choice.  The selections of product are made in-house and the customer chooses the assortment that comes closest to his/her personal wants.

It’s not like that with Texas Pepper Jelly.  On our gift page, we offer several nice assortments, but YOU get to pick what kind of pepper jelly or salsa you want in there.

Some people request one of each; that’s cool with us.  Some people have a single favorite and request many of one kind; that’s cool with us, too.  The point is, YOU are in charge of the kind of pepper jelly that comes in your gift assortment!  That means, every single jar will be one you especially wanted!

Why not click on over to the Texas Pepper Jelly Gift Packages page and check them out.  They’re not expensive, either!!!

P.S.  Don’t forget about the Texas Pepper Jelly eCookbook Giveaway!  You might even win a Messermeister knife!

The Texas Pepper Jelly website sells much more than just pepper jelly!  I’ve already mentioned the fantastic knives, and now I’m going to talk about the Texas BBQ Rubs!

These are so easy to use, and they make your dinner SOOOO good, too.  There are several kinds: Texas BBQ Rub Original, Texas BBQ Rub Brisket Blend, Texas BBQ Rub Texas Wild, and Texas BBQ Rub Texas Trio. Using these rubs on your ribs, chicken, steaks, veggies. . . pretty much anything! is like waving a magic wand over your food:  whatever you’re having for dinner becomes THAT MUCH BETTER!

You can purchase each rub separately, or you can order the Texas BBQ Rub Trio.  It makes a great gift, too.

Speaking of gifts, have you looked at your calendar lately?  That’s right; it’s TIME TO BE THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT YOUR HOLIDAY GIFTS!  Why not give your friends and family something different this year?  Texas Pepper Jelly has many really nice gift packages, and the prices are great, too!

Oh, and DON’T FORGET THE FANTASTIC TEXAS PEPPER JELLY GIVEAWAY!

There’s only one more week left in October, and with November comes the beginning of the holiday season!

This means that it’s time to start thinking SERIOUSLY about gifts.  This year, why not give everybody on your list something different, something they will really like, and something they will actually USE!

When you give your family and friends something from the Texas Pepper Jelly gift page, you’ll fulfill all three of those requirements!

I’ve blogged right here before about how genuinely awesome the Texas Pepper Jelly gift-packs are; I guess you could say that our hot peppers are really COOL.  The picture is of the Texas Tin Sampler Pack, and it’s only $22.97.  I’m going to order a couple of these for my brother.

Many of you signed up for the Texas Pepper Jelly newsletter, which scored you a free sample of our product, as well.  Thanks to all who did that!  You’ll be getting your samples soon; we have to make them first!  Yes, everything we sell is THAT FRESH!

Remember, we give stuff away all the time.  Check our blog daily to find out when!

The Texas Pepper Jelly website has some recipes that make me weak in the knees just to think about!  In fact, there are many fantastic ways to use Texas Pepper Jelly in your kitchen, and every Wednesday, right here, you can find a new recipe!  What’s Cookin’ Wednesday is a regular feature here on our blog.

I’m going to start with one of my personal favorites, and it’s so easy, it’s almost unbelievable that it could possibly taste SO WONDERFUL since so little effort goes into it.  You don’t even have to cook it!  I’ve made this with regular jams and jellies countless numbers of times and it’s always good, but with Texas Pepper Jelly, it’s more than merely “good.”  It’s AWESOME!

Just unwrap a package of cream cheese and let it soften.  Then, a few minutes before it’s time to dig in, pour a jar of Texas Pepper Jelly – any flavor will work – over the cream cheese, set out some crackers (all kinds!) and stand back.  The whole thing will be gone before you can count to ten, and your crowd will ask for more!